Orchard Care Homes chief executive officer Hayden Knight has been appointed to the policy board of Care England.

Care England is the largest representative body for independent providers of adult social care in England.

Orchard Care Homes operates 23 care homes across the North of England and the Midlands. The group’s mission is to provide truly individualised care, tailored to the person.

Orchard’s ‘dementia promise’ aims to remove the stigma surrounding dementia and encourage positive care approaches, with the goal of achieving true equity and respect for people living with dementia.

Under Knight’s leadership, the group said it is working to eradicate formulaic “care home life” and make the experience of living in their homes as close to normal life as possible.

Knight will be working with Care England to identify the major issues for the social care sector and develop the association’s key strategic priorities.

He said: “I am delighted to be entrusted with this role for Care England. It is vital for our people to be well represented and their interests taken into consideration as our sector undergoes rapid change now and into the future.”

Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, added: “Hayden will be a valuable addition to Care England’s policy board because he brings a wealth of experience and a track record of innovation in the social care sector.”

Knight takes up his role with immediate effect.